Washington gridlock

President Obama and Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan went before 5,000 AARP members in New Orleans on Friday to make their respective cases and take questions, with each promising to do a better job of protecting Medicare, Social Security and other programs for older Americans. See also: Obama, Ryan videos and transcripts In the most direct faceoff the two campaigns have had this season on retirement-related issues, both Obama (appearing by satellite) and Ryan (who joined the AARP Life@50+ event …